Improvement in indicating-telegraph



` No. 6,040. PATENTED JAN. 16, 1849.

L. G. CURTISS. INDIGATING TBLEGRAPH.

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L. G. CURTISS. INDIGATING TELEGRAPH.

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IMPROVEMENT IN lNDlCATING-TELEGRAPH.

'Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 6,040, dated anuary f6, 1849.

2 is also an elevation, the front plate being removed in order to show the parts concealed by said plate in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation next the-magnet. Fig. 4 is a top view of the machine. Fig. 5 is a view of the back of. the dial-plate. Fig. 6 is an edge view of the dialplate and crank for winding the cord. Fig. 7 is a plan of the pallet-bar and pallets. Fig. 8 represents a table of numeralsindicating the alphabet, 86e. Fig. 9 is a table in which certain combinations of said numerals represent common words.

Similar letters in the several figures refer to corresponding parts.

Telegraphing is successfully carried on in this country by means of acombinationof electro-magnetism an'd machineryformarkin g characters or signs onpaper, also in Europe by means of a combination of electro-magnetism and machinerynsed forindicatingletters, 86e., between distant points. The basis of the American indicating-disk telegraph invented by me is upon these principlese-viz., electro-magnetism, machinery, gures, and signs, and their combination,l all combined so as to produce rapid indications between distant points. This end is obtained of a revolving disk or dial-plate marked with successive series ot numerals 0 1 2 3 4,arranged in-a circle or otherwise, said dial-plate being revolved bydegrees as the galvani'c current is completed, and broken by the alternate vibration of the lever to which the pallets, armature, and springs are attached. The battery, the magnet, the conductingwires, the armature, and the lever, all being so well understood, need not'be described.

My machine is constructed in the following manner: i

An electro-magnet, A, is placed near one end of a'frame. From this magneta'lever, F,

extends to the slidingpallet-bar H, Fig. 2, with which it is connected by an oblong mortise, i'nto which the end of the levers is inserted and by whichthe pallets are successively-raised and lowered. The pallet-bar is kept in its true. position bymeans of 'guides Q Q, vported by the upright piece a, Fig. l, in which' guides it moves up and down to determine the Fig. 2, supirregular motion of the dial-plate I.

J is a horizontal shaft passing through the center of the dial-plate I and turning in suitable bearin gs in the parallel platesor frame j'.

K, Fi'g. 5, is aratchet-wheel, and L is a-pawl by which the dialplate is locked to the shaft as in ordinary clockwork.

M is a cord, aud N a weight fonturning. the shaft and dial-plate. The dial-plate has a cirf cula-r opening in the center, which is notched around its inner circumference, forming. a circle of triangular teeth, i, againstwhich the pallets H H2 act to arrest the rotarymotion of thedial-plate at intervals, which is turned by the gravity of the weight N when not arrested by the pallets coming in contact with the teeth. The aforesaid circulan-toothed.

opening in the dial-plate is covered with a circular or cylinder cap, l?, fastened to the dialy plate on the back, andto which the pawl L of the ratchet-wheel K is affixed, and through' whichcap the shaft J passes. The ratchetwheel K is affixed to and turns with the shaft. The pallet-barH is bent at the middle, so asto clear the shaft J in its perpendicular movements.

H' and H2 are two pallets on the pallet-bar H, that strike against the triangular teeth i of the dial-plate for arresting its motion at regular intervals. Q are boxes or guides fastened to the'plate Z, which is secured to the frame f,

through which the pallet-bar slides.

R R R2 areset-screws for setting the palletbar H so as to cause the pallets H 'H'l to strike the triangular teethi at any'required angle forproducing the desired result. j

S is a spring attached to the long arm of the 'armature-lever F and to a graduating friction-roller, U, for raising the armature from the magnet and for vibrating the lever in o'rder to bring the lower pallet in contact with derstood as a.

a tooth of' the dial-plate when the current is broken.

P2 is a inortised piece in which are placed set-screws for adjusting the armature a; The side plates, f, are held in their position by hori zontal transverse connecting-bars, one at the top ot' the frame and two at the bottom, and through the latter screws penetrate, holdi-ng the whole firm to thewood-work V and supporting the magnet.

A machine of like construction is placed at each end of the telegraphic line. The breaking and forming a circuit of electricity moves the dial-plates in exact accordance and simul- -taneously, however distant, indicating at the same instant the same figur(J letter, or sign. The operator, or the' person sending the message, halts momentarily at the letter or figure that is to be written off at the other station orend ofthe line, then moves on again to another figure, and so on, the numerals singly and in combination representing letters of the alphabet, as'shown in Fig. 8. To particularize more fully. VOn the dial are placed the figures 0 1 2 3 4,012 3 4,0 1 2 34,0 l 2 3 4,&c.,snc cessively around in a circle on the face ot' the dial to place ot' beginning. To operate, a machine thus constructed is placed before the operators at each point, connecting the circuit otfelectricity, the'magnetsgmoving the armatures, andthe levers. effecting simultaneous escapements, the weights causing movements of the dials each the distance ot' halt' a tooth, bringing above the edge of a'stationary plate or pointer, T, the figure desired, 'and alike on each machine. It' it be gure'4 on the dial, it will be understood 'by both the operators at the point sending and at the point receiving as the letter u, as this tigure represents in the table, Fig. 8, the letter u. It 0, it-will be un- The figures 2 4 would signify m'; 4 0, the letter t; 0 3, italic; l 0 l, the period, and so on, thus representing at will the twenty-six letters of the alphabet or other signs by the iive figures 0 1 2 3 4 and their combinations. It will be observed that the vowels a, e, i,.o, and u are represented singly y by the numerals 0 1 2 3 4. The remaining letters ot' the alphabet are represented by combinations, las shown attira-wing Fig. 8.

New, to knowwhen a letter is made by a sin-` gle i'gure'or the combination is complete, a temporaryhalt is madeat thetig'u-re, and then Vanother temporary halt by moving the dial halfa tooth and halting temporarily on the space between the figures, it being observed that when the current of electricity is perfect or unbrokenboth dials, being in unison, will lstand at blanks (or spaces) above the pointer before, to figure 1, representing e. Connect the circuit, and both machines-stand on or indicate space, showing that e is meant, and se' on through the vowels, which having been represented once over, the dials are again at- 0 and ready to repeat the operation indefinitely. To make b, move the dials by breaking 'and connecting the circuit each to ligure 1. Then halt to indicate it. Then, as before, move the dials to 0, halt, and then to space first above, showing that the combination is completed and that the number 10 is indicated, and the operators knowfrom the drawing Fig. 8 that l0 represents b. Other letters are similarly lformed.

` The operators, soon becoming skilled, and retaining in the memory the numerals and combinations of numerals-rcpresenting the alphabet and mode of'making the communications,

can rapidly and -correctly transmit to or froml one station to another any desired information, the receiving operator taking down with pen or pcncil'the indications asthey are sent.

This process ot telegraphin g may be carried on over short distances by other motive power than electricity.

m is a crank for wiiiding the cordM, to which the weight is suspended.

fn, is lthe fulcrum of the armaturelever.

I use other signs in a similar way as I do thenumeralsO l 2 3 4, and I use 0 l 2 34 not only in combination to represent letters.but

.also to represent words, or even sentences, as

shown'in Fig. 9. Vhat I claim as my invention and improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, n

l. The mode ot'conveying intelligence at distances by means ot' a revolving toothed dialplate'inarked,in'the manner set forth, with the several successive repetitions ot' the series Ot numerals, 0 1 2 3 4, arranged in a circle ou the face of the same, for representing the letters of the alphabet, said dial -plate being turned by degrees, as required, by the combination of the escapemcnt, cord, and weight, the pallets, lever, and spring, the armature and leverv being actuated by the electromagnet by `breaking and forming the circuit, the Whole forming what I call the American insity of having the whole or any part of the alv phabet on the revolving disk, and of turning it a revolution, or nearly so, in order toindieate'a particularletter, is dispensed with, itbcingonly necessary to turn 4the dial-plate a segment or so In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed of a circle at each combination of figures to my name, before two subscribing Witnesses, indicate a. letter, which is done instantly by l this 8th day of August, A. D. 1848. simply forming and breaking the circuit, and L. G. CURTISS.

v having thus formed the letters, it is evident Witnesses:

that words can be lspelled with great rapidity, WM. P. ELLIOT,

substantially as herein set forth. A.'E. H. JOHNSON. 

